Steelworkers ratify new deal

Unionized workers at Inco‘s Sudbury operations have voted 62.3% in favour of a new three-year contract ending a three-month strike that saw pressure put on global nickel supplies.

Inco says that 77% of the 3,316 workers eligible to vote did so. Meanwhile, 91% of 137 eligible voters turned out at a vote at the Port Colborne refinery; 92.5% of them agreed to the new deal.

Inco says the new agreement includes increased wages and pensions, and allows the company to reduce the cost of delivering health care benefits while preserving benefit levels. Inco expects to see immediate efficiency improvements and cost savings on the health care front.

The nickel giant also says that its program of cost-containment and productivity improvements will continue. It expects the Ontario operations to resume full-scale production in about 2 weeks.